A Note on ‘Australia’ or ‘Austrialia’ 23 A NOTE ON ‘AUSTRALIA’ OR ‘AUSTRIALIA’ Rupert Gerritsen1 paper, “French Mischief: A Foxy map of New Holland” by Margaret Cameron Ash was published in The Globe no.68 in 2011 (Cameron Ash 2011), and in which three references A were made to “Austrialia del Espiritu Santo”, including a translated quote from the document claiming possession (“Possession in the name of His Majesty”) prepared by Pedro Fernandez de Quirós in 1606 (Markham 1904, 1:251). In the following issue of The Globe (69:51) a correction was published, indicating an error had been made by the editor in changing “Australia” in the author’s original manuscript to “Austrialia” in the published paper. However, as will be suggested here, the editor may not in fact have been in error. The question as to whether Quirós used the term ‘Australia’ or ‘Austrialia’ is not necessarily a trivial one as it has a bearing on the origin of the word ‘Australia’ in terms of its earliest usages. The first appearance of the word ‘Australia’, its application to particular landmasses, the word entering our lexicon, the recognition of what we now know as ‘Australia’ as a discrete geographical entity of continental proportions, the application of ‘Australia’ to that continent, the acceptance of that name for the continent, and finally its adoption as the name of the eponymous nation state has a long and complex history. That, however, is beyond the scope of this brief note, which will confine itself to the supposed error made by the editor in amending ‘Australia’ or ‘Austrialia’. In acknowledging the error, Sir Clements Markham’s translation of The Voyages of Fernandez de Quirós, 1595 to 1606 was cited (Markham 1904, 1:251) as evidence for the use of ‘Australia’. Yet as noted in the Correction’s footnote 1, elsewhere Markham, in quoting the key phrase from the same document, stated that Quirós had declared the land he was claiming “from this time shall be called Austrialia del Espíritu Santo” (Markham 1904, 1:xxv). This conflict is the source of some of the confusion. A further source of confusion arises from the inconsistent application by Quirós and his contemporaries of the names they attached to Espíritu Santo. But Markham created yet more confusion in terms of his identification of relevant documents, omission of a key document and an inadequate citation. To satisfactorily clarify this matter it is necessary to consult a number of original sources. SOURCES AND COMPARISONS The intention of the expedition led by Quirós was “to discover the unknown southern regions”, as specified in his “Instructions” (Markham 1904, 1:183), explicitly stated in the Royal Orders and by Quirós on numerous occasions in the course of the voyage. This intention was also detailed in accounts by others, such as by one of the Pilots on the expedition’s capitana (flagship), the San Pedro y San Pablo, Gaspar Gonzalez de Leza. The principal source used by Markham in relation to Quirós’ and de Leza’s accounts was Zaragoza’s Historia del Descubrimiento de las Regiones Austriales Hecho por el General Pedro Fernandez de Quirós (1876-1882). This publication was also the source of Quirós’ “Memorials” translated by Markham. Markham relied upon Zaragoza who had consulted the original documents. Markham (1904, 2:405-51) also included a translation of the 1723 edition of Fray Juan de Torquemada’s account of the voyage in Monarquia Indiana (Torquemada 1943-44, 1:738-52), first published in Seville in 1615. 1 Rupert Gerritsen is a Petherick Researcher at the National Library of Australia. He has published extensively in a number of fields, including early Australian history, historical ethnography, archaeology, maritime archaeology and historical linguistics. Contact [email protected] Journal of The Australian and New Zealand Map Society Inc. 24 The Globe, Number 72, 2013 Regarding the key phrase contained in Quirós’ proclamation, Posesion en nombre de Su Magestad (Fig. 1.), Zaragoza (1876, 1:316) transcribed it as “toda este parte del Sur hasta su Polo que desde ahora se ha de llamar la Austrialia del Espíritu Santo” [all this part of the south as far as the Pole, which from this time shall be called Austrialia del Espíritu Santo]. Figure. 1. Posesion en nombre de Su Magestad (Archivo del Museo Naval, Madrid, MS 951) Journal of The Australian and New Zealand Map Society Inc. A Note on ‘Australia’ or ‘Austrialia’ 25 Zaragoza (1876:1:316n) also noted that a correction (Fig. 2.) had been made to the original: En el Ms de la Biblioteca del Ministerio está enmendado y puesto malamente Australia; y digo malamente, porque Quirós, segun manifesta en uno de los memorials dirigidos al Rey, que se publicarán en el tomo II, formó este nombre del la Austria, á cuya casa reinante á la sazon en España, dedicaba sus descubrimientos, y no del Austro… (Lodewyckx 1929, 102-3) [In the MS of the Library of the Navy Office this is corrected and there is written wrongly Australia; and I say wrongly, because Quirós, as he says plainly in one of his memorials addressed to the King, which will be published in the second volume, formed this name from the name Austria, to which house reigning at that time in Spain he dedicated his discoveries, and not from Austro…] Figure 2. Alteration of ‘Austrialia’ to ‘Australia’ in Posesion en nombre de Su Magestad (Archivo del Museo Naval, Madrid, MS 951) Zaragoza (1880, 2:191-212) also provided a full transcription of the memorial he referred to in this footnote, Relacion particular de la jornada que hizo el Capitan Pedro Fernandez Quirós á las Indias, y de las cosas sucedidas en ellas. In this memorial Quirós quite clearly states, cuya felice1 memoria de V. M., por el apellido de Austria le dí por nombre la Austrialia del Espíritu- Santo, porque en su mismo dia tome la posesion de ella, (Zaragoza 1880, 2:201) [for the happy memory of Your Majesty, and for the surname of Austria I have given it the name Austrialia of the Holy Ghost, because on your day I took possession of it,] This has been noted by others such as Collingridge (1895, 248) and Lodewyckx (1929, 102), although both inexplicably provide slightly different transcriptions to that found in Zaragoza. However, while Markham cited this memorial and noted the association “with His Majesty’s title of Austria” (1:xxx), he did not provide a specific page citation, nor did he provide a translation. As is this was only a passing reference it may therefore be easily overlooked. Markham’s translation of the other memorials generates further confusion as well. While acknowledging the one referring the House of Austria was most likely published in 1607 (1:xxx), for some unknown reason he does not provide a translation of it. He does, however, translate Quirós’ ‘8th Memorial’, but with significant changes to the title, along with two other memorials. One of these others is listed as being published in 1607 on the contents pages (1:viii; 2:vii), but in the body of the work the actual memorial is headed “Memorial, 1609” (Markham 1904, 2:487). Zaragoza (1880, 2:Indice - Adición I) indicates that the undated memorial was probably written in 1607, “Aunque sin fecha, parece escrito en 1607” [although undated, [it] seems to have been written in 1607], a conclusion shared by Collingridge (1895, 248), Lodewyckx (1929, 102) and Markham. It is therefore one of, if not the, earliest of Quirós’ memorials. A key phrase in the passage from the memorial is Quirós’ statement that “because on your day I took possession of it.” What did he mean by that? Collingridge (1895, 248) took it to mean “the anniversary of your birth”. However, it was not the King’s birthday, which had passed weeks before, on 14 April. Instead it most likely was referring to King Philip III’s name day, the feast day for the saint after whom an individual is named. Quirós expedition encountered Espíritu Santo in late April 1606, and on 1 May first entered a bay, which was subsequently named La Gran Baya de S. Philippe y Journal of The Australian and New Zealand Map Society Inc. 26 The Globe, Number 72, 2013 S. Santiago, it being, as de Leza recorded, “the day of those apostles” (Markham 1904, 2:370). In the Tridentine Calendar,2 1 May was the feast day of St. Philip and St. Santiago (i.e. St. James). This simple phrase not only alludes directly to Philip but also to his position, as St. Santiago is the patron saint of Spain. Consequently it provides an additional layer of meaning by reinforcing the association between the name of the new land and the Spanish crown. Although the formal ceremony and proclamation claiming possession took place on the Pentecost, 14 May 1606 (Zaragoza 1876, 1:311- 17; Markham 1904, 2:248-52), I would suggest what Quirós meant in this instance was that effective possession commenced with his discovery of this new land, on the King’s name day. As mentioned, the bay at Espíritu Santo was named La Gran Baya de S. Philippe y S. Santiago.3 A map of the bay was originally prepared by Diego de Prado y Tovar (or Tobar). Prado y Tovar had been the captain of the San Pedro y San Pablo and second in command of the expedition, but transferred to the almiranta (admiral’s ship), the San Pedrico, captained by Luis Vaez de Torres, shortly before Quirós abandoned the expedition on 11 June 1606. Prado and Torres subsequently continued westward and sailed through Torres Strait in July and August 1606.